Feta cheese from Denmark will become history after the European Union ruled Monday that only Greece makes the real thing. The European Union's executive arm said it adopted a formal decision that feta cheese was only feta if it was made in specific parts of Greece, giving it the same kind of protection as Parma ham and champagne. The ruling means other EU states have five years to modify the description of the cheese they produce that currently is called feta--or stop production.

With so much uncertainty in the world, it's upsetting to see American politicians, backed by cheesy special interests, trying to start a war with Europe. A cheese war. And in the jingoistic climate of today's aggressive and expansionist cheese policy, I'm a cheese lover without a country. And some will call me a traitor. When it comes to cheese, there are standards in this world -- of fairness, and of excellence. Such standards shall not be undermined, not for clan or...

By Stephanie Witt Sedgwick, SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON POST | July 22, 2009

Many summers ago, I was at a barbecue where one guest accused another of having stolen a recipe for green bean salad. I was quick to put an end to the conversation. Few recipes are 100 percent original, and the pairing of green beans and feta is hardly unusual. The match is a natural, so naturally there are many versions of this salad. I've tried to perfect it by using only the zest of the lemon, so the beans don't discolor; by adding chopped sweet onions to keep that ingredient from biting; and...

Considering the dearth of full-service dining within the confines of north suburban Glencoe, the new Guildhall restaurant probably didn't have to work very hard to attract an audience. Just about anything would have been an improvement. But it's clear the owners and managers of this not-quite-4-month-old operation are on a mission to create not just a good restaurant, but a great one. Taking over a space that once was home to a locally owned hardware and general store, the owners commissioned...

They put hot peppers in Monterey Jack cheese, caraway seeds in bierkase cheese and sage into Derby cheese, so why not spice up feta? At Churny Athenos, it's a fait accompli. Reflecting a history that began centuries ago in the mountains of Greece, this brine-soaked cheese is characterized by a salty, pungent tang. Paired with black olives and tomatoes in a Greek salad or crumbled over baked shrimp, feta provides a punch that many people can`t resist. Now there are two...

Gravity keeps it all together. Apparently the fundamental force doesn't merely drop heavy things. It keeps the tides heaving, the planets orbiting and the stars smoldering. It can even improve salad. Consider this truth: Greens are best freshly dressed. Any food scientist who has packed a pre-dressed salad knows the discouraging lunchtime results: sogginess. Yet greens and dressing can coexist in the same clean and crisp container. The scientist requisitions a quart-sized, wide-mouthed Mason jar. She drops...

Holly Clegg's latest cookbook, "Trim & Terrific One-Dish Meals" (Clarkson Potter, $18.95), demonstrates her classic culinary training in an enormous variety of recipes. Her life as a working mother of three is reflected in a no-nonsense goal of preparing healthful and delicious meals in the least time possible. This tuna-orzo salad is a perfect quick and easy summer meal. Holly writes at the beginning of this recipe: "The feta and seasonings lend a Greek touch and make this dish a true hit. The tuna can be omitted...

In the middle of the day I drove to the middle of nowhere, where I had to wait until midafternoon. If I'd had a stack of novels I might have read one. If I had the ability, I might have written one. Instead, I went shopping. Middle Nowhere has a massive grocery, stocked with everything. I had planned to grill flatbread. I had a recipe that called for slicing and salting and marinating and grilling eggplant. It called for crisping onions and cracking olives and chopping parsley and crumbling feta...

Considering the dearth of full-service dining within the confines of north suburban Glencoe, the new Guildhall restaurant probably didn't have to work very hard to attract an audience. Just about anything would have been an improvement. But it's clear the owners and managers of this not-quite-4-month-old operation are on a mission to create not just a good restaurant, but a great one. Taking over a space that once was home to a locally owned hardware and general store, the owners commissioned...

Gluten-free has become a serious eating choice for many, not only those diagnosed with celiac disease but also people who are sensitive to wheat products. There are many books out on the subject. What sets "Weeknight Gluten-Free" apart from the others is that the author is Bon Appetit Magazine's former food editor, Kristine Kidd. She has developed more recipes than most cookbook authors in her successful career. Her mission here was to cook pleasing dishes that are...

It's spring; time to plan the extravagant garden. I always go for some English fantasy with pleached hornbeam walls, mazes carved from boxwood and tall topiary sculpted into hound and hare, then neglected, Edward Gorey style. A gothic mystery in green. In actuality my kitchen garden features spinach, which takes no tending. And mint, which cannot be quashed. I've got an open expanse planted with holes, bones, chewed sticks and weeds. I'm thinking of rotating the crop, to grass.

South Halsted Street isn't the only place you'll find Hellenic cuisine. Here are some further afield city and suburban Greek restaurants: Athenian Room (807 W. Webster St., 773-348-5155): Students and residents alike value this long-time DePaul neighborhood mainstay for good food at reasonable prices. The decor is Greek restaurant regulation white stucco walls augmented with brick arches that highlight the scenes of Greece hung within. Feta cheese is featured all...

In a recent pantry reorganization, I found a bag of wheat berries I'd been meaning to use. A simple salad with some winter citrus and salty feta seemed like a good idea, and it all turned out very tasty. Light yet satisfying, this makes a perfect lunch or dinner side salad this time of year. The textures of this salad are good. There's the juiciness of the blood oranges, a crumbly-creaminess from the cheese, and the chewiness from the wheat berries. As for the...

Gravity keeps it all together. Apparently the fundamental force doesn't merely drop heavy things. It keeps the tides heaving, the planets orbiting and the stars smoldering. It can even improve salad. Consider this truth: Greens are best freshly dressed. Any food scientist who has packed a pre-dressed salad knows the discouraging lunchtime results: sogginess. Yet greens and dressing can coexist in the same clean and crisp container. The scientist requisitions a quart-sized, wide-mouthed Mason jar. She drops...

Girls want to have fun. And yet, they don't. What they have is laundry. And carpool. They have grocery lists, to-do lists, listlessness. They have mom work and work work and teary interludes during which homework is considered, if not actually consummated. They have plans to read good books, look fabulous and smile encouragingly at their children - plans not necessarily realized. Which is why the girls' getaway is a life-saving maneuver every mom should learn - and practice. Having gotten away,...

Girls want to have fun. And yet, they don't. What they have is laundry. And carpool. They have grocery lists, to-do lists, listlessness. They have mom work and work work and teary interludes during which homework is considered, if not actually consummated. They have plans to read good books, look fabulous and smile encouragingly at their children - plans not necessarily realized. Which is why the girls' getaway is a life-saving maneuver every mom should learn - and practice. Having gotten away,...

Every year on Easter Sunday, Greeks invite a few strangers called Americani (pronounced Ah-mer-ee-kah-NEE) over to their homes for the greatest feast of the year. There is no passport; there is no tour book to help you deal with our ways, until now. But do not worry, my Americani friends. I will be your guide. The first thing you must remember is that the door you enter is the door from which you leave. Why? Don't ask me. No one's ever dared test it before. And...

Goat milk is similar to cow milk in calcium and phosphorus contents, but it contains greater quantities of potassium, Vitamin A, thiamine and niacin. Cheese made from goat milk is lower in calories and easier to digest than many other cheeses. Known as chevre (SHEV-ruh) in French, it now is found in most major supermarkets. The Greek variety, feta (FET-uh), probably is the best-known goat cheese in the United States, though large commercial producers today often make feta with cow milk.